


The Suthay Chronicles Chapter 2: An Inseparable Bond

by Vicsvinny



Series: The Suthay Chronicles [4]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Cyrodiil (Elder Scrolls), Dunmer (Elder Scrolls), Gen, Imperial City (Elder Scrolls), Khajiit (Elder Scrolls)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:08:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25238236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vicsvinny/pseuds/Vicsvinny
Summary: Even at our worst, our friends will stand by you.
Series: The Suthay Chronicles [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817335
Kudos: 1





	The Suthay Chronicles Chapter 2: An Inseparable Bond

**\------2 Weeks later | Imperial City Docks | 11:00pm------**

“The sea it rises with a mighty roar

The wind it blows from a distant shore

The waves they speed us on our way

The ship she dances in the spray!

All hands to halyards, hoist away!

Set sails to full and no delay!

The course we set we must sail true

Or sink ourselves in the briny blue!

Look to the port above the beach

Our destination we will reach

For our captain's is a will of steel

Break his trust and you'll kiss the keel!

The sea it settles on the shore

The wind will blow us nevermore

The waves are calm, there is no spray

Our ship sets sail some other day.”

A chorus of drunken revellers filled the bar with their inharmonious voices, all raising and clinking filled tankards with the end of their shanty.  
All throughout the tavern, sailors stood in place or sat on rickety wooden stools. Laughing and drinking to forget the long and harsh voyages prior.  
One man, dressed in moderately fancier attire than everyone else got up on his chair, clinking a fork against his metal tankard  
**“HEAR YE! HEAR YE! MATES! I PROPOSE A TOAST! TO THE RED MAW’S FURY! NOW SITTING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOPAL SEA!”**  
An uproar of praise and cheer filled the bar as everyone raised their booze-filled tankards in celebration.  
Thunder boomed and lightning crackled outside from the downpour and deluge of rainfall striking the docks as if the Gods themselves had chosen to flood Mundus.

The door to the tavern was quietly slid open and a soaked grey-furred Khajiit wandered in. Tugging the cloak wrapped around her tightly as it dripped with water. Her exposed snout from under the hood sneezed, and she shivered with teeth chittering.  
Barely anyone paid the newcomer with a tail little mind, barely giving a cursory glance. They were enjoying the revelry and merriment. So what if some scrawny little cat had strayed in?  
The bartender, a rather large Imperial eyed the Khajiit approach with suspicion. Khajiit were remarkably scarce from the Docks, much less at this time of night.  
Taz pulled up a stool to the counter and jumped up on it.  
She was by far the smallest thing in this tavern, dwarfed by even the only Bosmer, now dancing drunkenly on the table, much to the satisfaction of his compatriots.  
Taz finally released her grip on the cloak, revealing her armour underneath. Stained by dried blood. Whether it was hers, or someone or something elses, who could say?

“Bit late to be wandering around in the rain ain’t it?” He asked her  
She glanced up at him, faintly glowing blue eyes peering through a drenched hood and soaked fur.  
“Khajiit is cold. And thirsty” She muttered amidst her shivering  
“I can see that. So, what's your poison, cat?”  
Taz peered up at the shelves of liquor behind the man, before pointing at a tall bottle of mead.  
“That, Hommingbrew”  
“You mean _Honningbrew?”_ He corrected  
She nodded, dripping water onto the counter from her hood  
“You're a special breed of cat aren’t you? Drinking a Nord’s alcohol?”  
Her tail wrapped around the stool leg  
“A friend gave it to me before… It warms you up on cold, rainy nights. Like tonight"  
The bartender nodded. He personally had never tried the Nordic swill before, but he always hears good things about Nordic Mead. Who was he to judge on what the feline wants to drink as long as she pays.  
He placed a stepping stool down, reaching up and handing a bottle of mead to her, then held out his hand, demanding payment  
Taz reached into her soaked backpack and placed a small purse of septims on the counter, before holding the bottle of mead in both gloved hands, shaking from the cold.  
It was certainly warm in the bar, but the current state of her apparel wasn’t helping to raise her exposure levels.

She gulped down her first round, before coughing and gagging into the counter  
It was strong on the first hit, feeling like it was burning her throat like kindlepitch, however it left a very pleasant honey and berry taste in the mouth afterwards, making up for the initial burning. And what’s more, it was already warming her up, she could feel her hands again.  
The bartender observed as the Khajiit took several more rounds, coughing after each one until her bottle was empty.  
Once more, he doesn’t see very many cat-folk in this area of the city, much less do they wander into his bar and request a Nords drink.  
The Khajiit also had her weapons on her.. Normally he’d ask to confiscate any weaponry so that he wouldn’t have a repeat of that one night 3 months ago..  
He’s still finding pockets of dried blood in the floorboards..

“Another…” Taz demanded, pushing the empty bottle towards the bartender with a stern expression  
“You’ll need to pay more. This doesn’t even cover the first bottle. Much less the cost to import it from Skyrim in this day and age”  
He held up her small coin purse as she dumped another onto the counter  
**“Another”** She repeated herself  
He took a moment to look her over.  
At one point she had lowered her hood, revealing her black and unkempt hair, yet it still flowed gracefully down her shoulders, ending just above her elbows.  
He consented, reached up once more and shuffled a bottle over to her. And so the cycle of drinking went on.  
The seamen and revelers were still happily enjoying life, now having a dancing competition over in the corner. Complete with betting, both drinks and coin.

**\------1 Hour later------**

Taz, having downed several bottles by now had difficulty moving herself, so she sat, slumped against the counter, giving off the occasional groan.  
“An….othe..” She mumbled into the wooden counter top  
“No. I’m cutting you off. You’ve had too much” He replied  
Taz lifted her head and growled gutterally, like a Predator would upon meeting the Hunter.  
“Khajiit wants to get **DRUNK”**  
“And you are drunk already. I’m not giving you anymore”  
“Taz.. *HIC* wants to get _DRUNKERERER…”_  
The man shook his head sternly and folded his arms  
**“No”**

 **“KHAJIIT SHI ZRAJIIT BOKA SYFFIM BITA!!”** She hissed at him with a snarl from her snout, baring her fangs as she pounded a fist on the counter  
A few patrons now looked over at the commotion, and the drunken singing had ceased  
The bartender placed two firm hands down on the countertop and looked her in the eyes  
“Look here _Cat._ You're done. For your own sake and everyone else's, I will not give you anymore Mead.”  
“THEN WINE WILL DO!!” She exclaimed  
“No. And you keep this up and your ass is getting kicked back out into the rain”  
Taz had troubled looking straight ahead  
“KHAJIIT HATES THE RAIN! It makes her *HIC* furry tits wet..”  
She pressed a hand against her chest

A few patrons snickered and murmured amongst themselves  
“Exactly. So simmer down. Or I’ll call the guards to drag you out”  
Taz tried sitting up straight, but she stumbled right off the stool and onto the hard wooden floor with a loud *THWUMP*  
The entire tavern broke out into laughter as Taz stumbled back onto her feet, pressing up against the counter for much-needed support 

**“SYFFIM BASTARDS! DON’T LAUGH AT ME!”**  
“I thought cats always land on their feet!”  
“Hey Pussycat! You got eight lives left??”  
More laughter erupted 

**“KHAJIIT IS NOT CAT!!”**  
Taz took a haphazard step forward and fell flat on her snout, bumping into a table and knocking a beer off of it.  
A number of patrons stood around her, laughing and jeering at the feline as she laid prone on the floor  
Taz lifted her drunken head, her vision was blurry and distorted, but she made out the faint outline of a beer bottle sitting before her.  
And she reached out for it, grasping it within her claws.

**\------Mirian’s Home | 1 Hour Later------**

Mirian had a certain ‘pinkish tinge’ on her face as she sat in her comfy reading chair. One leg crossed over the other on the ottoman, wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and the warm aura from the fireplace letting her have a grasp at what ultimate comfort felt like.  
It had been a very quiet 2 weeks since Taz left on her ‘Big Quest’ to kill a few bandits that were plaguing the city of Cheydinhal.  
And Mirian had found herself with a lot more freetime on her hands since her apprenticeship at work had stagnated, what with a certain shortage of incoming smithing materials.  
So she had taken the time to catch up on reading the fine literature that can be found in the Imperial City.  
Notably, the first 4 entire volumes of the Lusty Argonian Maid. 

It was a very embarrassing purchase for sure, but the man who she bought the books from at the store didn’t seem to care in the slightest that she was purchasing said reading material. Only when Mirian awkwardly brought up the subject matter held within the pages did the Nord proprietor give her a judging look. Stating ‘He doesn’t give a damn on how she pleasures within the bedroom’  
Mirian had glared intently at him. She hasn’t partaken in such self-pleasuring for at least 6 months.  
However she was happy that she did buy the books. Sexual suggestiveness aside, Lifts-Her-Tail is a somewhat interesting character. Passing the initial ‘openings’ from the first few pages is where the books really take off.  
Mirian was up to the point in the 3rd book where Lift-Her-Tail and Crantius had found themselves on the wrong end of the law, after the two had attempted to ‘engage in activities un-befitting for the public eye’ 

Suddenly a heavy-handed knocking pounded from her door  
Mirian shrieked, jumping off her chair and throwing the book underneath it, then looked over at the door as the knocking sounded once more, albeit more sternly.  
Mirian groaned and stormed over  
“I swear if it’s those Thalmor N’wahs again…”  
She opened the door and was met with two grim-faced imperial soldiers, standing in the dark pouring rain. They were holding an unconscious Khajiit between them 

“Is this **YOUR** cat?” One of them asked  
Mirian looked down at the Khajiit  
“Oh my gods Taz... Yes.. She stays with me”  
The guards entered and dumped Taz onto the carpet. With naught but a grunt to signify she was actually still alive.  
“What did she do? She had left two weeks ago to hunt down a bandit den out near Cheydinhal” Mirian asked, glancing back at Taz  
“We were called in to a bar fight at the Docks. Went in to find the cat on the counter growling and hissing like a mountain lion. A few patrons had visible claw markings on them. Were she not drunk off her fucking mind, she’d be spending the next 8 months in Prison”  
Mirian took a deep exhale as the guards turned to leave  
“Keep the cat on a leash Dunmer. She got lucky tonight”  
They left, slamming the door shut behind them.  
Mirian was left, standing at the door with an unconscious Khajiit crumpled up on her formerly clean and dry carpet.  
Well.. Might as well put the drunk furball to bed.. 

She sighed and lifted her up, dragging the body over to the staircase.  
Geez. Taz was heavy in her gear.  
She paused and thought for a second, then began to strip off Taz’s gear, tossing it aside onto the stone tiled flooring so that the rest of her nice carpet wouldn’t get soaked.  
Then she realized that Taz was probably freezing, being in cold and wet clothing like that..  
So, she began taking off the armour.  
Half of her hoped that Taz was wearing something underneath, and strangely, half of her wasn’t. Wanting to see the Khajiit in her entirety. She’s never seen Khajiit bare before.  
She quickly got her answer as she gently pulled off Taz’s tunic after taking off the cuirass. 

Taz was wearing a bra

Mirian breathed a strange sigh of relief, removed the rest, dried her off with a towel as best she could, with it being wet fur and all, and lugged the cat upstairs to the bedroom.  
She kept glancing down at Taz held in her arms.  
Despite being drunk, unconscious, somewhat wet, and beaten up in some places; she was cute. Like how Elves and Humans are cute. Attractive, cute. She never before actually truly felt attracted to Taz, but now.. Seeing as how she was almost stripped bare, seeing her curvy figure and pretty face, Mirian felt a strange yearning to feel Taz.  
After tucking the Khajiit into her bed, Mirian sat on the edge and reached out, feeling her soft skin against Taz’s furry cheeks.  
Every time she feels Taz’s fur, she’s always reminded of Mirici. The little house cat her family used to have all that time ago. Which, thinking back on it may have been one of those ‘Alfiq’ Khajiit. She’ll never know since Mirici ran away one day and never returned.  
She looked back at Taz, and felt herself smiling.  
She never realized until now on how happy Taz makes her. And how glad she was that they were together once more. 

**\------Next Morning-10:32am------**

Taz squinted awake to the gentle rays of sunlight creeping in through the curtained windows.  
She sat up and held her throbbing head, which felt like it was being stabbed with a rusty dagger.  
It also didn’t help that she felt like vomiting up buckets.  
She groaned as she looked around at her immediate surroundings.  
She was in Mirian’s bedroom, which was strange; The last thing she could remember was arguing with a bartender, and having people laugh at her.  
And something about her furry breasts being wet…  
She shook off the vague and embarrassing memories of last night that she could remember and made her way out of bed, only then realizing that she was stripped down to her undergarments.  
She hoped that there was a credible reason why she was practically naked, and that she didn't strip herself in a public showing, or worse…  
Losing her Maiden status to some homeless Argonian vagrant..  
She began towards the door, when her cheeks puffed up and she desperately searched for a bucket.  
Finding a conveniently placed pail next to the bed, she hurled a foul-smelling brown liquid into it. 

Making her way slowly and deliberately down the stairs, her stomach still somewhat queasy she peered over the rail at the living area and the kitchen beyond it.  
The smell of roasted meat was in the air, and subtle puffs of smoke from the cooking area hung about the ceiling  
Mirian apparently heard Taz coming down, as she peeked around the corner  
“Morning Sera!” She said jovially.  
Taz groaned in response and peered into the kitchen  
“I’m cooking up a bit of soup for you. Probably have an upset tummy huh?”  
Taz nodded with a wince  
Mirian smiled warmly at her, then turned back to cooking  
“What happened to me Mirian?”  
The Dunmer paused then let out a brief chuckle  
“Well. you narrowly avoided going to prison is what happened”  
Taz made no verbal response, but lowered her ear slightly and tilted her head  
“You got into a drunken bar fight, and were hauled back here by some not so pleased looking guards. You were literally unconscious from the alcohol"  
Taz remained in place, only giving a few flicks of her tail  
“Which brings you here”  
“Why am I naked then?”  
“Oh your not _NAKED_ naked.. You have a fur coat and underwear.”  
Taz glared at her  
“Ah.. but that. Well.. I had to strip off your gear and clothing since it was soaking wet, you were probably cold. I dried you off then put you to bed”  
“You didn’t.. Touch me did you?” Taz asked with a timid tone 

Mirian looked almost offended  
“Of course not! I’m not some crazed Sanguinian cultist. I have control over my baser desires of debauchery. Besides, wet fur is not a turn on for me”  
Taz lowered her head  
“Sorry”  
“And.. uh.. In the event of unexpected company, like more Thalmor raids, you should get dressed. Your current attire isn’t leaving much left to the imagination..”  
Mirian leaned against her kitchen counter, looking the Khajiit up and down with a subtle smirk  
Taz glanced down at her body, then nodded and made her way back upstairs  
Mirian waited until she heard the bedroom door close before she breathed a sigh of relief.  
Wow. And here she was, standing there looking Taz over like that.  
Like, screw it if she’s a Khajiit. She’s a _hot_ Khajiit  
She paused in her thoughts then let loose a sinister laugh  
Her parents would hate her sooooo much 

**\------The Next Day | 8:00am------**

The clanging of hammer beating upon metal echoed through the quiet but nippy morning Autumn streets.  
Taz had woken up early, her hangover had pretty much subsided by now, and she had decided to go for a walk around town. As well as to take care of an errand for Mirian.  
Most of the people were still in their homes, seeing as how a layer of frost was covering most of everything out here, and Taz could see her breath.  
Most of the other people she saw out here were the early-morning workers, guards, shopkeepers inspecting or maintaining the outside of their stores, beggars and Thalmor.  
The streets were covered in layers of frosty leaves, and the scenic trees lining the stony roads were dead and barren of anything beautiful.  
Taz rubbed her gloved hands together, yanked the fur cloak around her furry head and hurried her way down the street.  
Contrary to what everyone believes, Khajiit fur is not great at keeping you warm. Like at all. It’s good with the desert heat, but not for the winter climate. That’s why she never wants to go to Skyrim.  
Khajiit were never meant to be in the cold

Eventually she arrived outside a Blacksmith's shop 

‘Hrogar’s Steel’

Taz removed a glove, licked her hand quickly patted down her fur, making herself presentable and went in through the front door.  
Immediately she was met with a warm blast of heat from the interior forge from the back, casting off the freezing outside world  
She lowered her hood and glanced around at the shelves and displays, lined with various weapons, tools and equipment/  
A few armour stands also propped up iron and steel armours of various styles and quality.  
Taz however, wasn’t looking to purchase anything. No; she was here on business  
She approached the counter, and waited for a few seconds  
No one came to meet her  
She coughed politely to bring attention  
Still no one  
She pounded a fist on the counter repeatedly  
And to her surprise, absolutely no one came to see her.  
She sighed and glanced back at the store  
She could lick herself clean faster than this guy could notice she was here..  
Soon however, a tall blond Nord came in through a side door, and froze in place after seeing the Khajiit waiting at his storefront.  
She looked over at him, held her arms in the air with a merry posture  
“HROGAR!” She announced in a pleased tone  
Hrogar scowled defiantly and aimed a heavy-handed finger towards her 

**“BLOODY KHAJIIT!!! I THOUGHT WE HAD SETTLED OUR DEBT!”**

“We did” She shrugged  
He snarled and placed a newly tempered helmet on a stand, before glaring at her once again  
“What more do you want from me? I don’t have any more Kidneys to give you..”  
Taz cleared her throat with a polite cough  
“Khajiit is here from Mirian and Sventho. They wanted me to give you this”  
She reached into a pocket and held up a small envelope  
Hrogar eyed her and snatched it, holding it suspiciously, as if he was waiting for it to explode  
“What is it?’  
Taz shrugged  
“They wouldn’t tell me”  
Hrogar gave a side glance to her, then opened it; pulling out a letter and read through it/  
Taz leaned up against the counter, and looked over at a nearby armour stand, displaying a female torso equipped with a steel cuirass fashioned in a Nordic style with enlarged breast plating.  
She then glanced down at her chest and sighed ever so slightly  
“BY THE GODS!! Do they really expect me to just.. Accept their proposition without any prior notice??” Hrogar exclaimed while holding his forehead in bewilderment  
Taz looked back at him  
“What’s it say?”  
He gave her a scowl  
“Your ‘Friends’ want to buy out my shop, and have ME work for THEM!”  
“And.. That’s bad why?”  
Hrogar grunted and slammed the letter down onto the counter 

“This store has been my family’s keepsake for generations! My pa, and his pa before him, and his pa before that, and HIS pa before him stood behind that counter selling their smithed goods for high competitive prices. This building was the only one standing in the Market District that survived the Oblivion crisis. And what’s more, i’m a Nord! It would be dishonourable to just give away my tradition for a few measly septims. I might as well fall on me own sword”  
There was a moment of silence as Taz simply stared at him with her feline eyes  
“Quit judging me you damn mouser”  
“Khajiit is not judging you Hrogar”  
“Yes you so bloody well are. You think that I'm weak. A pushover. That I’m not worth the pity of asking my ancestors for forgiveness should I sell off my heritage”  
“...No…” She muttered 

**“YOU THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE I LEARNT THAT I COULDN’T MARRY MY SISTER, THE ONLY WOMAN I EVER LOVED AND LAID WITH, THAT I COULDN’T AMOUNT TO ANYTHING!”**  
Taz blinked at him, with a blank expression  
“For some Gods damn reason it’s illegal to marry your own sister in this damn province. But by Mara’s golden hair strands, Ones does not come across such a fair maiden as she. Until those Fucks from the Dark Brotherhood killed her..”  
There was an awkward silence as Hrogar lamented his sister, by lowering his head and muttering curses under his breath  
Taz wrapped her tail around her leg  
“Uh.. What about the letter’s offer?” She asked, waving a finger in the air to bring some sense of sanity back to the man  
Hrogar turned and glared with an infuriated look in his eyes 

**“FUCK YOU KHAJIIT! YOU TOOK MY LEFT KIDNEY, MY MONEY, AND YOU MADE ME THINK BACK ON MY BEAUTIFULLY DEAD SISTER! I ACCEPT YOUR DAMN OFFER IF YOU’LL FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME IN PEACE!”**  
He reached behind the counter and stamped the letter, then threw the envelope back at her with the stamp of his store's logo on it.  
Taz caught and glanced at the paper in her hand, then back up at Hrogar who was calming himself down with a bottle of mead  
“Umm.. Thank you Hrogar. Khajiit will be going now..” She said, slowly backing out of the store  
Hrogar gave a huff in response and turned back to his forge in the backroom  
“Bloody Khajiits”

**\------Later that Night------**

Mirian yawned at she entered her bedroom  
“Another fun-filled day learning the blacksmiths trade” She said, stretching her arms as Taz came in behind her  
“And another day where I learn how screwed up Nords are..”  
Mirian glanced back at her  
“Not all nords fuck their siblings. Only Hrogar. And also that sweet-talking bard up in Bruma..”  
Taz made no response, just made her way to the couch next to Mirian’s bed she sleeps on.  
Mirian went into her closet to change  
“Y’know Taz, Sventho would like to meet you one of these days. I keep telling him nothing but nice things about you. And he’s really happy you got that business with Hrogar done for him.”  
Taz laid on the couch and made herself comfortable in her cozy blanket and soft feathery pillow  
“But then he’d want me to be an apprentice.”  
Mirian emerged from the closet in her fluffy night robe  
“Nah. He has me. And I’m pretty good as his apprentice. It wouldn’t hurt just to pop in and say hello”  
“Maybe.. I don’t have any other plans soon..”  
“Yeah.. about that..” Mirian said, a grin forming upon her lips  
Taz looked over and tilted her head  
“I was thinking about taking you somewhere. Somewhere nice”  
“Where?”  
Mirian turned to face Taz  
“Oh. Only Skingrad. And have EXCLUSIVE access to the little wine tasting tour they have.”  
Taz’s eyes lit up and her tail wagged like a happy dog  
“Arranged carriage transport, a few nights in the fanciest Inn, with nothing but fine cheese, salted pork and vintage wine. Plus all the perks of a large bed and low expectations..” She grinned to herself  
Taz’s tail kept wagging as she ran over and embraced Mirian, who froze for a second, then hugged back  
“I can’t wait, Mirian!” Taz said, her snout pressed into the Dunmer’s shoulder  
“We’ll be leaving in 2 days time. That’s when the next little caravan will be heading out.”  
They kept hugging for a few more moments.  
This was the first time Mirian’s ever properly hugged Taz, and since she was wearing a simple undershirt, she was very comfortable and soft to feel.  
Finally however, Taz stood back and looked almost shy  
“You ok?” Mirian asked, holding the Khajiit’s hands in hers  
“Yes.. I.. It's just weird.. We're hugging.."  
“Ah it’s fine. We’re friends. And besides, you're both a good hugger, and very pleasing to hug.”  
Taz didn’t exactly know how to respond to that. She simply nodded with a forced grin, then curled up on her makeshift couch-bed.  
“Goodnight Taz” Mirian said, tucking herself in  
“Goodnight Mirian” Taz replied  
Mirian reached over, and snuffed out the small candle lighting up the room, plunging them into the darkness of night. 

**Author's Note:**

> The shanty is actually a real thing you can find in ESO (Elder Scrolls Online)!  
> It's title is The Sea it Rises


End file.
